February 8 - African American Parent DayThis seemed like an odd announcement to me, so I went to the Stevens School's website. There I found a more complete listing, which is reproduced below in its entirety:
Feb. 8: African American Parent Involvement Day (we celebrate on the 8th, not the 6th which is the official National A.A. Parent Involvement Day). Event includes a presentation from 9:30 – 10:30 (Topic: helping your child with math), classroom visitations and lunch.The Seattle Schools website has a review of last year's "celebration":
National African-American Parent Involvement Day CelebrationThis strikes me as another example of liberal condescension toward minorities disguised as a goodwill gesture. After all, does the Seattle School district (or any other school district, for that matter) feel the need to have a day to "honor and celebrate the involvement of [white] parents in the education of their children"? It would be hard to argue about the value of having a parents day at school to honor and celebrate the involvement of ALL parents in the education of their children, but I remain puzzled as to why the Seattle Schools believe it is appropriate to single out one ethnic group in this fashion.
. . . . This national day of recognition honors and celebrates the involvement of African-American parents in the education of their children. . . . School events included workshops for parents on how to support their children's learning, a day in which parents were invited to visit their children's classes and have lunch with the school principal, and a luncheon where parents received special recognition from their children for their support.
Further, the Stevens School states on its website that its student body is 53% minorities. There is no further breakdown of minorities, but based on the demographics of the neighborhood, it is unlikely that all 53% are black students. In any event, at least 47% of the students at Stevens will spend the day seeing the parents of black students, but not their own, "honored and celebrated" for their involvement in the education of their children. What should those children make of that situation? Will the teachers tell the non-black children that this day "is designed to address the serious achievement gap facing African American students, who continue to lag behind other ethnic and minority groups." If so, will these non-black children continue to see their black classmates as equals?
UPDATE I - 1/31/06: I contacted the principal at Stevens School by e-mail and he was kind enough to reply. I expected to get some answers to my questions about the program, but alas it was not to be. He merely stated that this day "is a National Event and the Seattle Public Schools has asked all schools to observe this" and he pointed me to the Director of Equity and Race Relations. I included my questions above and the following question:
Are there celebrations and special activities specifically for non-black parents and their children on another school day (for example, "Asian American Parent Involvement Day")? If so, what are the advantages of this segregated approach to celebrating parents and their children? If not, are these parents being told subtly that their efforts, while perhaps laudable, are expected and therefore not worthy of special recognition?I guess I will have to continue to wonder.
UPDATE II - 1/31/06: I received a response from the Director of Equity and Race Relations. Although it is a very thoughtful and lengthy exposition on the need to celebrate our racial differences and reject the notion of assimilation and sameness, it does not answer any of the questions posed in my e-mail message. I wrote back to the Director thanking her for response, but insisting that, "I do not think that the absence of other ethnicity-specific days necessarily invalidates the purposes of African American Parent Involvement Day, but I do see some paradoxical tension in [singling] out one ethnic group for this public recognition and acknowledgement."
For example, the Director stated, "I think that we continue to perpetuate racism when we do not acknowledge that group identity has its own special uniqueness." My response:
If it is true that we perpetuate racism by failing to "acknowledge that group identity has is own special uniqueness," it is equally true that racism is based on a belief that group identity has its own special negative uniqueness. That is why I wonder what the other students are told and whether they are being asked to believe that black students need special help, but all are equal nonetheless. Those students may not grow up to be racists, but they could just as reasonably grow up to think that blacks have a special negative uniqueness that requires them to need special help to "address the serious achievement gap facing African American students, who continue to lag behind other ethnic and minority groups."I appreciate the thoughtful and earnest response, but I wish it just answered my few specific questions.
